There’s a proliferation in our society of so called ‘true’ stories and ‘reality’ shows. The reason is they work. People are interested. There’s an entertainment value to them. However, there’s little of truth in ‘true stories’ and little ‘reality’ in reality shows. Interestingly, this comes amidst a movement for authenticity. We also claim, as a [...]
Principles and culture are closely intertwined. Do you know what your principles are? Principles are not what you say you they are, they are what you stick to over time. What do others know you for? What do you stand up for? That’s what your culture is. It’s no accident that some workplaces have [...]
I’ve seen far too many problems created, or fueled, by people not sticking to their jobs. They get upset and angry at things that, put it quite simply, are none of their business. A normal excuse is that ‘I care’. And in the name of caring, they are willing to complain, be passive aggressive, [...]
When workplaces ask me to come in and speak to their teams, I often find that many people are more concerned with whether ‘they are going to keep their job’, or meet their KPIs, rather than being concerned with whether what they are doing is actually ethical, compassionate and loving. Of course, I know [...]
Sometimes, if you are like other people, the last person to notice that you've sold out, is yourself. Sold out on your values, your dreams, your passions, your ethics. We get busy. We get distracted. We get persuaded to ways of looking at the world, by people that don’t have the best intentions. We get [...]
A true friend will hold you to a higher standard. Someone that really cares won't 'validate your feelings' if it's not good for you. They'll be kind, they'll be loving and tell you what's hard for you to hear at times. When organizations bring me in, it is my practice to hold them to [...]
If you want real change, i.e. personal power, you must embrace pain. The only way to change anything, like growing into power, is through pain. Sometimes, intense pain. This is not mental illness. It's a natural process of change often misunderstood for suffering. Organizations also need to experience pain & discomfort. Any culture change [...]
Sometimes life throws some curved balls at us and we have to go inwards to work it all out. Some people call that healing. I like the word healing but I remind myself that it can be misleading. Nothing's really broken or injured, it just feels that way. Partly because it is painful and partly [...]
It’s nice when you can be distracted from taboo subjects even if they happen to be really important things. As a society, we cherish our distractions. And workplaces are no different. But there comes a time when avoiding taboo, uncomfortable, subjects – ‘elephants in the room’ – start causing too much harm. That’s the case [...]
